Valentine Shmalentine

Today is Valentine's Day. A holiday created by the Hallmark and Archies in India. The most ridiculous, overtly advertised and overtly ostentatious display of love! I absolutely despise  V-day or any other day that tells you that you need to express your love on a certain day, using certain methods and to a certain person (significant other). And yes, the man has to shower the woman with most cheesy gifts (chocolates, flowers, heart shaped-balloons etc). Can this be any more patriarchal? Why is that the man take leads, kneels down to express his sentiments and the woman has to say "Yes". I hate this sh** and don't get me wrong. I think love is a wonderful feeling and if you can find it, you are very lucky. But then why these cliche displays of love. Good lord! V-day makes me absolutely angry about these societal definitions of role plays and even in 21st century a woman is "damsel in distress" who needs to be rescued by a knight in shining armor, through love. 

I am not against love but I am against the traditional definitions and expectations of love. Why do I have to celebrate or show love on one day or only show it to the man? I choose not to do that. I show my love all year long to all people in my life. I don't need a "day" to tell them how much I care. All the men and women in my life are loved and wanted. And I don't need flowers to say that out loud. Being with these wonderful people and thinking about them everyday and participating in each other's lives; is how I express my love. And why does love have to be romantic only to be expressed on V day? This V-day I am going out to watch Vagina Monologues with my girlfriends, whom I love and cherish all the time. 

We need to get over labels, of love, romance and gender roles. "Love actually is everywhere" and we don't need a day or a reason to celebrate it in a certain way. I celebrate it everyday by just knowing that these wonderful people exists and are a part of my life. So no thank you V-Day, I don't need you or your flowers to know that I am loved and cherished!